TTAR - Dick becomes Robin
by Quinis
Summary: A Bat Clan Age Reverse where Damian is the first to join Bruce's crusade and Dick (Robin) is the latest. This story covers how Dick becomes Robin.


**Notes: **So I went and created a Bat Clan Age Reverse Universe where Damian is the first to join Bruce's crusade and Dick (Robin) is the latest. I plan to do more stories using this and it's intended to take place in the Teen Titans (Cartoon) universe; because I've seen so many Young Justice ones where Dick's the youngest and I wanted to do a Teen Titan's one.

Here's how Dick becomes Robin in this universe. Stories in this universe will be labelled with TTAR.

* * *

**Damian Wayne, Son of the Bat - 22**

**Timothy Drake-Wayne, Red Robin - 17**

**Jason Todd, deceased - 14**

**Dick Grayson, Robin - 11/12**

**Stephanie Brown, Spoiler - 17**

**Cassandra Cain, Batgirl II - 13**

* * *

**Dick becomes Robin**

* * *

Dick sort of understood why Bruce Wayne took him in. Bruce had told him about his own parents and how he felt a kinship with him.

Which would be nice, except he rarely saw the man. On top of that, reporters were all saying that Bruce had taken him in as a replacement for the son he lost a few months prior.

Despite the number of children Bruce had adopted over the years, the house was empty. He saw Bruce's blood son once and the man glared down at him with ice-cold eyes after having an argument with Bruce about bringing in another kid so soon after Jason.

A week into his life at Wayne Manor and Dick had only seen Alfred, Bruce and, once Damian, but he mostly saw Alfred. It made it easier to sneak out and try and find the man who killed his parents but, it was lonely.

Dick had never felt lonely at the circus. There was always something to do and someone who wanted the company.

Here, he felt lazy and alone. A piece that didn't fit.

* * *

Dick tried not to care and focused on finding his parents' killer. He escaped the manor and searched Gotham, using the knowledge gained from his parents to find the scum of Gotham. Where they had told him not to go, he went.

He beat up twenty men, not all at once, and found out where to find a guy who knew where Zucco was staying.

That's when a figure jumped down from the darkness rooftops. Reflexively, Dick jumped away.

The man had a black domino mask on his face and was wearing a black and white bodysuit as well as a hooded brown cloak.

"Son of the Bat," Dick whispered in awe. He had never met a vigilante, even though he was a fan of both Batman and Superman. Son of the Bat was a rumour, a story people told to make Batman seem more human. Even though Son of the Bat was said to be more dangerous than the Bat himself.

Son of the Bat tilted his head.

"You know who I am," he stated. Although he didn't sound surprised, he wouldn't have mentioned it if he hadn't been. "So, tell me Grayson, what is Wayne's newest charity case doing running around Gotham at night?"

Dick glared and hoped he was intimidating but knew that he probably failed.

"I'm going to find Tony Zucco!" he announced, storming past Son of the Bat. He told himself that he didn't care that he was facing a big, scary Gotham legend, nothing was going to stop him.

Son of the Bat decided to follow him. Dick glared back but the Gotham vigilante seemed determined to follow him.

"What are you, a lost puppy?" Dick grumbled.

"I am interested in whether you can find the man who killed your parents, Grayson. And what you will do when you find him. Batman does not endorse killing."

"I know that!" Dick barked back.

"But I am not Batman."

Dick wondered if this guy was really the fearsome Gotham vigilante. He just found him irritating.

* * *

"This is your fault," Son of the Bat grumbled as five men pointed guns at the duo. Dick smirked.

"Any of you guys know where Zucco is?" he asked, dashing between two of them and slipping between them. Son of the Bat knocked down three in as many moves and turned to where he thought Dick would be in trouble.

Dick was flipping over tables, chairs and had already knocked one out. He glanced towards Son of the Bat and then jumped towards him, planting his hands on his shoulders and flipping over him to knock into another man who had been pointing at gun at Son of the Bat's back.

It was the wake-up call Son of the Bat needed.

* * *

Dick glared down at the Son of the Bat, glad that the table he was standing on gave him leverage over the older man.

"Go home, Grayson."

"No!" They had just beaten up five men. Why was he saying this now?

"You are acting like a child. This is dangerous work. You've heard the rumours about Robin?"

The hairs on the back of Dick's neck rose at that. It was almost a confirmation that Robin had been killed, like the criminals of Gotham gossiped.

"I'm not Robin! I'm Dick Grayson!" Dick snapped back. He flipped off the table, tossing it in the direction of the vigilante and bolted. He jumped through a window and ran down the street, ducking down an alley where he could leap up and climb the fire escape to get to the roof.

When the circus came to Gotham, Dick and the other circus kids spent hours playing around the buildings and city. He knew the skyline and how to manoeuvre across rooftops.

He found the man who knew where Zucco was and tied him to a chair, leaving him for the bats.

* * *

Dick cornered Zucco when he left his hideout for a while. The man laughed. Dick lashed out. His knuckles were bruised and his side burned where Zucco got a lucky hit in but he still managed to bring the murder to his knees.

And then, not one but, two Gotham vigilantes dropped down from the rooftops.

"Seriously, is that the only dramatic entrance you two have?" he asked, mostly directing the question to Son of the Bat.

The man's lips quirked and Batman shot a glance at the man who the world assumed was his son.

"What are you going to do?" Batman asked, his voice low and gravelly.

Dick glanced back at Zucco, who was on the ground, unwanted tears of pain in his eyes and trying to blend into the shadows but standing out like a beacon.

"Take him," Dick said to Batman.

Batman nodded.

"I'll take him home," Son of the Bat said.

"Not in the Batmobile, you won't," Batman responded, causing Dick to giggle in a slightly hysterical way.

"Come on, Grayson. There's more than one Batmobile."

Dick followed after the vigilante, excited to get a chance to ride in one of the famous cars.

* * *

Dick's jaw dropped open. He was just about to comment about how this wasn't the way back to Wayne Manor when Son of the Bat drove into a cave.

Not just a cave, the Batcave.

"So cool," Dick said in awe as the car pulled up. Once the door was open, he was out. Climbing on everything and touching everything.

He only stopped when another Batmobile pulled up and Batman got out.

"Well?" Son of the Bat asked, glancing between Batman and Dick.

"No."

Son of the Bat frowned.

"You're one stubborn fool, father," he said, pulling off his hood and mask. A face which Dick recognised, even though he only saw it personally once, was revealed.

"Damian?" He did not squeak.

"Grayson," Damian stated.

Batman growled but pulled off his own cowl, revealing the face of Bruce Wayne.

Dick's jaw dropped open for the second time that night. Then it closed as he realised something.

"Jason was Robin, wasn't he?" Dick eyes started to fill with water. Jason was Robin and Jason was dead.

"Yes," Damian said, kneeling before Dick. "Like I said, this is dangerous. And father is stubborn. But, from what I've seen tonight, you do have some skill. And now you know about the armoury underneath the manor so do not leave without weapons and protection again."

"Damian," Batman stated in a warning tone.

"I don't think you'll be able to keep this one from the streets," Damian responded with a shrug. "And wouldn't you rather he be trained?"

"I can't. After what happened to...no, I won't."

"Make him swear an oath or something then," Damian grumbled heading towards the stairs to the manor.

* * *

After Dick found out the secret, it seemed like something changed. Bruce was more interested in him, even if it was in order to make sure he wasn't running off again. Damian moved in and Dick gained an older brother.

And he met Tim, the first child Bruce had adopted. Tim explained that he had also been sitting in the crowds that night and that he had been the one who dragged Bruce to the circus. He had also been the one to encourage Bruce to adopt Dick.

Tim introduced himself as Red Robin, leader of Young Justice and then explained where the name 'Robin' had come from.

"Me?" Dick questioned in surprise.

Tim showed him a picture and told him the story of how his parents spent a lot of time away but had one time had taken him to the circus. Tim didn't know why they suddenly decided it but by the time the circus had come around the next year, they had been buried and Bruce had taken him in.

"I knew your name, of course but, I also heard your nickname 'Robin'. When I found out about the secret, there was no other name I could think of."

Timothy had been the first Robin, handing the name down to Jason when he had joined the group. Especially since most of the names and costumes Jason and Bruce had come up with had been terrible.

Tim didn't tell Dick that Damian had called him and told him about the night when Zucco had been arrested.

"I would like to hand the name back to you, if you will have it."

Dick stared up at Tim. He breathed through the 'oh my gosh' moment and the onslaught of hero worship he felt.

Red Robin was handing him the mantle of Robin!

"What about Jason?" Dick asked, feeling a stab of distrust that he felt guilty for. However, still it felt like they were using him as a tool for handling their grief.

"I underestimated Robin, when I created it. My use of the name and Jason's use of it have created a legend, a myth just as strong as, if not stronger than, Batman. As callous as it sounds, those we fight cannot believe that Robin can be killed because, who will they go after next? It will embolden them. If I take anything from Jason's senseless death, it's that Robin cannot die. I will not forget Jason just because someone else is Robin; Jason was more than that."

Dick nodded, understanding. He only knew Robin but these people knew Jason, the boy beneath the mask. That had to stand for something.

"Then, it's alright if I become Robin?" he asked, hoping to take his mother's name for him again and fly.

"I already said that, didn't I?" Tim responded, pushing his glasses up. He was thrown off-balance a moment later when Dick collided with his waist, giving him a squeeze and hug.

That night, Robin flew. On one side, he had Red Robin. On the other, Son of the Bat.

"Shouldn't you be heading back to your little playhouse, Drake?" Son of the Bat snickered as they rested above the city.

"No real names in the field, SB."

Son of the Bat let out a growl as he hated the abbreviation which Red Robin also applied to Superboy. Red Robin used it knowing how much he hated it.

"Red Robin leaves tomorrow," a voice said into their comms. "And is that a kid in red and green with you?" There was a touch of anger in the upbeat voice.

"Your eyes don't deceive you, Spoiler," Red Robin answered.

"What do you think of our scouting skills?" Son of the Bat smirked.

"What in goodness name you two are thinking? I'm coming to get you!"

"Oh, so scary," Son of the Bat taunted before switching off his communicator.

"She's going to kill you for that," Red Robin pointed out, "and I'm going to laugh. Long and loud."

"Keep your delusions to yourself." Son of the Bat pulled out his jump line. "Come on, Grayson, it looks like it's time for you to meet Fatgirl."

* * *

'Fatgirl' was a blond woman in a purple outfit with a hood and a mask over the bottom of her face. Who wasn't fat at all, so he didn't get why Son of the Bat called her 'Fatgirl'.

"It was his name for me when I was Batgirl," she explained. With a pointed glare at Son of the Bat, she added, "someone had the silly thought that women couldn't fight crime."

Son of the Bat frowned but didn't say anything. He had already explained why Dick was running around in the Robin costume.

"My name's Spoiler," she said, holding out her hand to Robin. "I don't really count as part of the clan since the Big Bad Bat doesn't approve but, hey, at least Red Robin cares."

"You know he wants you to quit too," Son of the Bat pointed out.

"Don't care," Spoiler responded.

"No fighting," a black shadow said, appearing from the darkness and walking silently over to them.

Robin wasn't too proud to admit that he was frightened by the way this woman had suddenly appeared.

"Batgirl," Spoiler greeted. "Robin, Batgirl; Batgirl, Robin. There introductions done. Now you can snipe at each other in the grand tradition of Batgirls and Robins."

"Hi," Robin said with a wave.

"You're staring at me."

"Sorry."

"Don't take your eyes off her," Red Robin whispered in Robin's ear. "She'll vanish before you can blink."

"Welcome to the family, Robin number four," Spoiler said with a smirk and a motion towards the dancing lights of Gotham city.


End file.
